Apparatus for sighting and leveling guns.



-f M. lvl. LAHUE.

APPARATUS FOR SIGHTING AND LEVELING GUNS.

APPLICATION FILED JAN. 14. 1916.

1,227,633. Patented May 29,1917. 3 SHEETS-SHEET l.

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IVI. M. LAHUE.

APPARATUS FOR SIGHTlNG AND LEvELlNG GUNS.

APPLICATION FILED IMI. 14,'1916.

Patented May 29, 1917.

M. NI. LAHUE.

APPARATUS FOR SIGHTING AND LEVELING GUNS.

APPLICATION FILED JAN. I4. 1916.

1,227,633. Patented May 29, 1917.

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MW ATTORNEY.`

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MOSES M. LAHU'E, OF LOWELL, MASSACHUSETTS.

APPARATUS FOR SIGHTING- AND LEVELING GUNS.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented May 29, 1917.

Application iled January 14, 1916. Serial N o. 72,168.

To all rwhom t may concern:

Be it known that I, MosEs M. LAHUE, a citizen of the United States, residing at Lowell, in the county of Middlesex and Commonwealth of Massachusetts, have invented a certain new and useful Improvement in Apparatus for Sighting and Leveling Guns, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to apparatus for sighting and leveling guns.

The object of this invention is to enable the position of the targe't or thing to be fired at, to be determined and the guns to be aimed at such target by a person or persons situated in a trench, well or turret and thus measurably protected from the fire of the enemy. p

This invention also permits of the guns being charged under cover within the protection of the trench or turret. In the accompanying drawing Figure 1 is a frontA elevation of my improved apparatus, the bed of the apparatus being in vertical central cross section on the line 1 l in Fig. 3; Fig. 2, a side elevation of said apparatus, the base being in central vertical section on the line 2 2 in Fig. 3; Fig. 3, a plan of the apparatus; the apparatus being represented on all said figures as arranged in a cavity in the ground. Fig. 4 is a top view of the lower mirror. Y

A denotes the bed represented as a rectangular box having at the corners axle boxes a to receive axles (not shown) on which may be arranged supporting wheels to enable the apparatus to be transported from place to place, in an obvious manner. Said bed has a central circular opening a1 to receive the base b.

The base Z9 of the frame B B1 is circular and rests upon anti-friction balls C arranged in annular grooves a2 b1 in the adjacent surfaces of the bed A and base b, the bottom of the base being circular and fiat and having a central downward projection b2 which venters and turns in a vertical hole a3 in the bed.

The frame comprises two like parallel continuous channel-irons B B1, the open or channeled sides of eachchannel-iron facing the channel of the other and forming a track for the gun-carriages D. The channel-irons or frame pieces B B1 are riveted or otherwise rigidly secured to the base b and are further secured to each other by tie-rods b3 and braces 1.

The frame B B1 may be turned about its vertical axis by a hand-wheel b5 or crank on a vertical shaft 296 on the lower end of which shaft a pinion 67 is fast, which pinion engages a gear o8, the latter engaging an annular rack a3 formed on or secured on the wall of the opening a1, so that the gunner M standing 'on the platform or bracket b1", secured to the frame-piece B1, can turn the frame B B1 to face in any direction.

Each gun-carriage D comprises two sides or cheeks d d rigidly connected by two axles or -rods d1 d1 at the front and rear of said cheeks and extending through them and having on the ends of said rods, wheels 032 cl2 which with said cheeks run within the channels of the frame B B1. A plurality of ns E (six are represented for each carriage may be arranged side by side and supported in a stock or body e common to all said guns and having trunnions e1 e1 which are journaled in the cheeks d al. The guns may be of the ordinary form shown or maybe machine-guns as the wellknown Maxim machine guns or other automatic guns in which the force of the recoil is utilized to re-charge and re-re the gun.

The gun-carriages D (of which four are represented) are moved into and out of firing position by a sprocket-chain F, certain links f of which are provided with rings f1 which surround the axles or rods Z1 d1 of the gun-carriages and similar links embrace other rods Z3 cl3 which are provided with wheels Z1 al1, said last named rods and wheels being precisely like the axles d1 d1 and wheels d2 032 of the gun-carriages but serving merely to support and 4guide said chain parallel with the frame B B1. The chain F is driven by a sprocket-wheel G fast on the shaft g journaled in the frame B B1 (Fig. 2) and another sprocket wheel g1 fast on said shaft g connected by another sprocketchain g2 to another sprocket-wheel g3 journaled on the frame-piece B and turned by a crank g1 in the hand of a man at N standing on a platform or bracket 611 secured on said frame-piece B.

Turning the crank g1 raises the gun carriages and guns to the top of the frame B B1.

The guns are held in firing position by a lock z, supported on` a yoke-shaped locking frame I-I which slides vertically and swings on horizontal studs secured to the frame B B1 said locking frame H, having parallel arc-shaped racks 71,3V 7b3 at its lower ends,en gaged by pinions h5 '72,5Y fast on'Y a horizontal shaft 71,6 journaled in a lock lifter comprising verticahparallel bars I I1 which are slidable inguides 4 I4 5 and are further guided by the studs which pass through vertical slots 1 2 in said bars. TWhen thelock lifter is raised the pinions 7L5 7t5 and locking frame l resting on said pinions, are also raised and disengage thelock h from the guns. Y

The lock-lifter is raised by a sprocket chain 9 in the hand of a manN on therplatform 611, said chain engaging. a wheel 8 fast on the shaft of a pinion 7 which engages a rack 6 on the lifter rod I.V

TheY lock proper consists of two angle-- Virons 71, 7L, the long upper sides of which arel represented as extending over the two outermost guns-of a carriage D when the latter is at the top of the frame B B1 and the shorter sides of said angle-irons extend down behind Y said guns. Adjusting screws h1 h1 pass through the upper parts of the lock on to the tops of the guns to'enable the lock to press equally upon the carriage at both'sides.

YThe target-finder consists of two mirrorsl jz .7'3 secured at an angle, preferably, a right Y angle to each other, to an arm J pivoted at y'1 on a stand. y' rigidly secured on the frame B B1 to swing in a vertical plane parallel with that of the framelpiece B1 the lower mirrorV ja being crossed by ne wires y'5 jc, as shown in Fig. 4. 1 v

The gunner (M) swings the'arm J until the target is shown in the center of the mirror je using the handle jl, for this purpose, and notes the reading of the index finger jt on the arc-shaped scale js xed on the framepiece B1, concentrically with the pivot j1,i

which gives the desired elevation of said target. The lock H at this time is out of en- 'A gagement with the guns, and the guns in ad- VanceV of the lock. The lock is then lowered.

The gunner then pulling on the sprocketchain' 71,8 turns the sprocket-wheel 72,7 which is fast on the shaft 71,6,turning'saidshaft and the pinions 71,5 71,5 until another index ,nger

' jg secured to the rack k3 points to the same figure on another scale j10, concentric with the scalevy's, when the lock is in the proper position to hold the guns at the properelevation.V

The guns are then backed under the'lock.;

After firing, the lock I-I is again raised and the operation repeated `with the following carriage D.

The upper mirror y'2 is preferably, but not necessarily, convex, as Vshown in Fig. l, while Vthe lower mirror is plane, in order that a larger field may be observed and reflected in the lower mirror, to facilitate the finding of the target.

VTo facilitate the'turning ofthe frame B B1 it may be providedwith casters K having wheels 7c which run: upon the top of the base A' and having also hooks 701 which reachV under the top ofrsaid` base to avoid' a liability on the part'of theV apparatus to `tip over.

I claim-as my invention;

'1. In an apparatus for sightingV and leveling guns, the combination Vof a frame adapted to be arrangedina protected space and to proj ect upward therefrom and provided with tracks, a series of gun-carriages run V ning on said tracks, a lock to hold said guns in firing position, two inirrorsY rigidly secured to a swinging frame at Yright angles to each other, one of said mirrors being above and the other below the top ofsaid protected space, said swingingV framej being ar' ranged to move parallel with the path ofV said carriages and the lower mirror having` an index finger, and a scaler on which said finger indicates the elevation of the target reflected in said mirror. 'Y

2. In an apparatus for lsighting and level; ing guns, the combination of la frame` adapted to be arranged in a protected space and to project upward therefrom and provided with tracks, a series of gun-carriages'running on said tracks, a lock to hold said guns in firing position, two mirrors rigidly secured to a swinging frame at right angles to eachl other, one of said mirrors being above and -the other below the top of said protected space, said swinging frame being: arranged to move parallel with the path ofsaid car# riages and the lower mirror having an index linger, a scale on which said inger'indi'cates; the elevation of the 'target reflected in said to project upward therefrom and provided with tracks, a series of gun-carriages run# ning on said tracks, a lock to holdsaid guns in firing position, two mirrors rigidly j se-V cured to a swinging frame at right angles with Veach other, one of said mirrors being convex and arranged above andthe other mirror being'plane and arranged below thel top of-said protected space, said swinging frame being arranged to move parallel with Y the pathY of saidV carriages and the lower mirror having an index linger, and a scalef on which said finger indicates the elevation of the target reflected in said mirror.-

4:. In an apparatus for sighting and level-.

ing guns, the combination of a frame adapted to be arranged in a protected space and to project upward therefrom and provided with tracks, a series of gun-carriages run? ning on said tracks, two mirrors rigidly se- Cates the elevation of the target reflected in, cured to a swinging frame at a iixed angle said mirror. 1o with each other, one of said mirrors being In witness whereof, I have aiiixed my sigabove and the other below the top of said nature in presence of two witnesses.

space, said swinging frame being arranged MOSES M. LAHUE. to move parallel with the path of said car- Witnesses:

riages and the lower mirror having an index ALBERT M. MOORE,

linger, and a scale on which said finger indi- WIILIAM F. CU'RTIN.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for iive cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. C. 

